On September 11, 2001, former New York Mets pitcher Al Leiter was trying to carry out a quiet personal mission before pitching in Pittsburgh that night. Decades later, appearing on OutKick’s “The Craig Carton Show,” Leiter recalled the events of that fateful morning. Their story began with a father who wanted to be present at a family milestone. Al Leiter #22 of the New York Mets pitches during a Major League Baseball game circa 2002 at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York. Leiter played for the Mets from 1998 to 2004. (Getty Images) CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE Despite a scheduled game in Pittsburgh, Leiter quietly flew home to New York without informing team management. “I wanted to be there for my daughter’s first grade,” Leiter said. “I was scared. You know, ‘We’ll be there, baby.’ And I’m playing a long time, I’m probably 15, 16 in the big leagues, whatever. And I knew if it wasn’t Pittsburgh, US Air had a flight every hour, it was like a ferry. Leave it and get on the plane.” Al Leiter waves to the crowd during the Alumni Classic before the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Saturday, September 13, 2025 in New York, NY (MLB Photos via Getty Images). He admitted to breaking the routine without his bosses knowing: “I’ve never done this, Craig. I can’t believe I really did it. I don’t know if I did it like Bobby Valentine and Steve Phillips didn’t know.” BUSH REMEMBERS MOMENT WITH DEREK JETER BEFORE NERVOUS LAUNCH AT YANKEE STADIUM AFTER 9/11 After walking his daughter to school, Leiter sat on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport as initial reports came in. “The pilot says, ‘Oh, it looks like a news helicopter near the [World] Commerce Center. We’re almost ready to take off,'” Leiter recalled. “And five minutes later, we’ll be back at the airport. Get your things. New York airspace is closed, LaGuardia is closed, evacuate.” Even after the evacuation, the true scale of the crisis had not emerged. “I still think we’re going to play. At that point, you know, we don’t know what they’re like.” Determined to reach out to his team, Leiter took a taxi to Philadelphia and caught an alternate flight. “I called Jay Harts. I said, ‘Jay, you have to get me a flight.’ I’m going to Philadelphia,'” Leiter recalled. “I have a Pakistani taxi driver. When a woman shows up and is crying? I was like, ‘Can you take me to Philly? I will pay you. And I’m pissed. I’m angry. I’m sad. So going to the Triborough Bridge, the towers are burning.” When New York City shut down, Leiter detoured north on the Major Deegan Expressway. Smoke rises from the twin towers of the World Trade Center after they were hit by two hijacked planes in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York City. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images) “They shut down New York City. “I was going to go to Tappan Zee to go through New Jersey and get to Philadelphia to catch a plane to launch that night,” Leiter said. “By the time I’m on the D again, going north of Yankee Stadium, heading to Tappan Zee, the radio is on and the Pentagon has just been hit.” ALL LEAD’Leiter immediately called then-general manager Steve Phillips. “I called Steve Phillips. I said, ‘Steve, I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure we’re not going to play baseball, right?'” Leiter added. “It’s like, ‘Don’t worry about it.'” Reflecting on the contrast of that morning, Leiter described the weight of the day. “I tell you that story because you know it was so strangely unique, like balls, that I really had to do that, and that was the day of the most heinous terrorist act in the history of our “Every year it’s like my story doesn’t change, right? As if history didn’t change. Although now what we’re seeing, as you know, I read in the newspaper that there were 19 Al-Qaeda guys who shot down four planes. Like I’m reading things, it’s like the story is changing. What are we doing here, right? My story hasn’t changed.” Leiter warned against efforts to reshape the narrative around the tragedy. The World Trade Center in New York City, shown after being attacked by hijacked airliners on Sept. 11, 2001. (Newspix via Getty Images) “I think a narrative that exists is trying to paint 9/11 in a way that I just don’t agree with,” Leiter said. “That was a heinous terrorist act that killed 3,000 lives, right? Nearly 400 firefighters rushed to help people. And much more.” He emphasized that keeping a clear memory remains an essential duty. “It couldn’t be a simpler nickname than Never Forget, could it?” Leiter said. “And it’s not just a slogan. It’s true. Because it’s easy, I can see how as time goes by, you start… wait a minute, that happened. Let’s not forget that it happened.”THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW: UNFILTERED, UNAPPOLOGIZED AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD YOUR DAILY PODCAST NOW! Send us your opinion: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow us on X: @alejandroaveela Alejandro Ávila is a veteran writer at OutKick and lives in Southern California.
